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SEPTA planning big Regional Rail return next week

Published  September 29, 2016 1:39pm EDT
U.S.
FOX 29 Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF/AP) - SEPTA announced it'll resume regular weekday Regional Rail schedules this Monday, Oct. 3. That'll mean service patterns and trip frequency will be back to the way it was before the Silverliner V fleet was sidelined, three months ago.

"We are excited to bring Regional Rail service back to the level our loyal customers expect and deserve," said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey Knueppel. "We are grateful to our customers for their patience, and we sincerely regret the inconvenience this situation has caused."

SEPTA's fleet of 120 Silverliner Vs, which represent about a third of its Regional Rail fleet, were taken out of service on July 1 after cracks in equalizer beams were found on most of the vehicles. Equalizer beams are part of the rail car suspension system, and distribute the weight of the vehicle to its axles.

Despite the return to the regular normal schedule, repairs are ongoing and vehicles are being returned to SEPTA as they are fixed.

By Monday, SEPTA expects more than 50 repaired Silverliner Vs will be available for service.

SEPTA will be able to resume regular weekday schedules with the combination of repaired Silverliner Vs and SEPTA's other Regional Rail vehicles, along with leased vehicles from Amtrak, NJ Transit and Maryland's MARC.

Starting Monday, commuters should refer to schedules dated June 19 except the Media/Elwyn Line, which was adjusted due to summer construction and will have a new schedule with an Oct. 2 effective date.

Also, due to the logistics of operating the leased trains, there will be modifications to four trains arriving or departing Center City. Click here for details on those trip adjustments and also links to the regular weekday schedules. The page also has instructions for downloading and updating the official SEPTA App for iPhone or Android.

Something else to watch: Travelers may experience some crowding on trains, but conditions should improve through the week as additional repaired Silverliner Vs become available for service.